Overturned Big Rig Spills Bug Spray On I-10; Six Hour Closure Expected

A trucker was seriously hurt today when his tractor-trailer rolled over, spilling about 60 pallets of bug spray cans across eastbound Interstate 10 west of Desert Center, the California Highway Patrol reported.

That amounts to nearly 180 gallons of insecticide.

The big rig crash was reported at 2:31 p.m. on the interstate near mile marker 99, said CHP Officer Ramon Perez.

The driver had to be cut out from the cab of the rig and airlifted to a hospital, Perez said.

Both eastbound lanes were shut down and traffic was routed around the wreck on the center divider, according to Perez. He said the lanes were expected to remain closed for up to six hours.

A hazardous materials team and the Riverside County Department of Health were called to the scene for cleanup, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

If you’re near the area, submit your pictures of the accident here.

Stay with KESQ.com and News Channel 3 for the latest.